Lavatory fixture



Patented Sept. 23, 1924.

f UNITED STATES STANDISH S. BUDLONG, 0F ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

LAVATORY FIXTURE.

Application filed May 23,

To who/a if, m04/ conce/w.

Be it. known that l.` STANDisH S. Bonbons, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rockford` in the county of linnebago and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lavatory Fixtures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to lavatory tixtures of that class adapte-d for use in public and private lavatories for drying the hands and face by means of a current ot heated air.

One of the primary objects of my invention is to provide a lavatory fixture of the character described constructed in a unique and novel manner with the view to simplicit-y and durability, and to enable the upward delivery of a wide-spread current of heated air close to the heater.

Another in'iportant object is to yprovide a lavatory fixture in the form ot a pedestal having a lmver air inlet and an upper air delivery nozzle, a blower and a heater so arranged in the pedestal between said inlet and nozzle as to produce a. nrost eli'ective air current `for drying purposes, and also to permit ot quick removal of the heater and the blower from the pedestal.

Still another object is the provision of a lavatory fixture characterized by a hollow pedestal having an open top adapted toy be, covered by a perforate grat-e which consti-y tutes the air nozzle, and heatingv and blower units adapted to be positioned in the pedestal through the open top thereof. A further object in this regard is the provision of electric connectors arranged in such novel manner that an electric circuit will be established by placing said heater and blower units in operative position within the pedestal. As a result of this construction, the heater and blower units may be made interchangeable and may be quickly and easily removed and replaced by others without regard to the electric connections. In other words, such connections will be automatically established by placing said units in operative posit-ion.

My invention also contemplates a lavatory fixture of the character described in which the blower and heater units are nested concentrically in the pedestal forming a continuous air channel in alignment with the delivery nozzle at the top ofthe pedestal.

I have also aimed to devise a lavatory tix- 1921. serial No. 471,792.

Fig. 2, an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantiallyon the line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3, a fragmentary sectional view through the heating unit showing one of the connectors between the upper and lower heating coils;

Fig. 4, a vertical sectional View through one of the concentric electric connections;

and

Fig. 5, a. detail section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. a.

My invention contemplates the use of any suitable frame or base for supporting the heater and blower units, but I prefer that the frame shall be in the form of a hollow pedestal so constructed that said units may be easily accessible for removal and replacement. More particularly, I prefer that the pedestal shall be constructed for the reception of said units through its top, which shall have a removable air delivery nozzle permitting access to the interior of the pedestal. As an example I have shown the pedestal in the form of a hollow cylindrical coliumn G having a bowl shaped top 7, dished inwardly as shown, and providing a relatively large air delivery opening defined substantially by the inner diameter of the tubular column. Said opening is covered by a perforate grate 8 forming a d ished continuation of the pedestal top and forming an air delivery nozzle. This grate may be secured in position by any suitable means, such for example as screws 9, which permit of its removal to give access to the interior of the pedestal column The heater and blower units may be suitably supportcd within the pedestal, either directly thereon or through the agency of an intermediate structure, such as the tubular casing 11, which has a flange l0 at its upper' end secured to the pedestal top by the screws 9. This casing carries at its lower end a suitable spider' bracket 12 having two or more radial arms which support one part of a concentric electric connector, the construction ot which will be described later. rlhe blower unit or cage comprises in this instance a cylindrical casing 13 adapted to be slid lengthwise into the casing 11 and equipped at its lower end with a spider bracket 14; having a concentric electric connector' complemental to that carried by the bracket 12. The casing 13 also carries a. blower which may be ot any suitable or preferred construction, and. in the present example consists of an electric motor 15 attached to the casing through. the agency ot a bracket 1G and equipped with a fan 17 for producing and deliveringl a cui'e rent of air upwardly through the channel formed by the cylindrical casing.

The electric connection between the stationary bracket 12 and the bracket 14, which with the motor casing' is ren'iovable througli the top, is so constructed that when placed in position the desired electric connection will be established. rlhis connection, best shown in Fig. Ll, includes lower connecting` wires 18 and 19 and upper connecting wires 21 and 22. The wire 18 is connected to an inner socket terminal 23 which receives an inner plug terminal 24: connected to the up per wire These terminals are insulated trom an outer socket terminal 25 connected to the wire 19 and an outer plugl terminal 26 connected to the wire 21. '.ihe inner and outer socket terminals 23 and 25 are supported on the bracket 12 through means ot' an insulation casing 2, and the inner and outer plug terminals 2a and 26 are supported on the bracket let by the insulation casing' 28. It will thus be seen that both parts oli the electric connection are concentrically disposed so that upon placing the blower casing in position an electric connection will be established between two sets of terminals. As shown in Fig. 1, the motor 15 is connected by wires 29 and 81 to the wires 21 and respectively. The electric supply wires 32 and 33 are connected respectively to the wires 18 and 19, and a suitable switch is included in the circuit, as for example, the toot pedal switch 311 in the wire 33. It will be seen 'from the foregoing that the motor is included in an electric circuit adapted to be closed by the toot switch 84.

I have now devised a heater unit which may bequiclrly removed and replaced and which when in operative position, will be in parallel connection with the circuit just described. The heating elements are carried by a tubular casing 35 which lits within the casing 13 and carries at its lower end a spider bracket 36 equipped with one part of an electric connection, the complement-al part of which is carried by a spider bracket Si' fixed to the blower casing 125. inasmuch as this electric connection is similar in construction to that shown in Fig. d, a detail description thereof will not be required. lt will suli'ice to say that the lower wires 38 and 39 connect to the inner and outer socket terniinals respectively, and that the upper wires 11 andI l2 connect to the Ainner and outer plug tern'iinals respectively. The lower terminals 38 and 39 of this conce-ntrie electric connection are connected with the upper terminals and 21 respectively of the lower electric connection, thus extending the. parallel. circuit to include the electric resistance elements. These elements may be ot any suitable or preferred construction, and in the present instance l einploy an upper and a lower set ol heating coils designated generalhT by #l1 and l2 respectively, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The individual coils are supported at their ends by vertical. rods Lill-.l spaced circuniterentially about the casing 35. The ripper and lower edges of this casing` are shaped to provide tabs liet turned in fardly, and thence upon themselves, as shown in Fig'. 5, the inner sides oit' the tabs being perforated for the reception ot the ends ot' the rods and the outer sides serving as abutments for' holding said rods against lengthwise displacement. f'i lining l5 of asbestos or any suitable insulation is provided at the inner side oi' the easing 35, being retained in position in. part by the tabs fiel. The heating coils of each set are connected atl their ends in series to wire couplings 16 which in turn partially embrace and seat in the grooved insulation collars el? supported on the rods L13. The coils in the upper and lower sets are arranged in planes at right angles to each other so as to most eiiiciently heat the air. rllhe terminals 48 ot cach set ot. coils are connected to the connector plates 49 and 51, which are insulated by mica sheets 52 and connected respectively to the connections 11 and 12 ot the upper part ot the up per conc/.nitric electric connection.

From the foregoing, it will be evident that l have provided a pedestal in which a blower or tan unit and a heater unit may be readily positioned, and that I have further devised an electric circuit, certain connections ot which are embodied inte grally in the blower and heater units, so that upon placing these units in the pedestal in operative position the electric circuit is completed. ln the present instance the supply wires 32 and 33 ci' this circuit and the lower electric connections are accessible by reason of the removable perforated grating which grating aiilords an air inlet. Wlhen the parts are in the assembled relation shown in Fig. 1, the electric circuit may be closed at will by closing the switch 34, thereby causing the fan to deliver an upward current of air through the channel defined by the tubular casing, this current of air being heated by the electric coils and delivered upwardly through the nozzle 8. By reason of the relatively large diameter of the delivery nozzle and of the perforated nozzle structure, the delivery will be modulated and ditlused directly over the pedestal, although in a definite,upward current, giving a greater drying area close to the heating coil than is possible with those constructions having a quite restricted delivery mouth. It will also be manifestthat by the provision of the self-containedl blower and heater units, that is, with the electric connections intact, these units may be quickly and easily removed by an inexperienced and unskilled person and replaced by new units in the event that repairs are necessary. It follows that wheny repairs are required the fixture need not be put out of use during the interval required for repairing, as a new unit may be substituted for the old. It should also be borne in mind that my invention is not limited to the use of separa-te blower andy heater units this being illustrated as a preferred form, simply because of convenience in manufacture and other reasons. Instead the.` blower and heaterv might be embodied in a single unit as in effect is the case in the event that theniotor unit casing 13, which extends substantially to the nozzle 8, be lifted from the pedestal with the heater unit. It will be noted that by nesting the casings and providing concentric electric connections, the circuits may be broken and connected simply by removal and replacement of the several casings.

It is believed that the foregoing conveys a clear understanding of the objects prefaced above, and while I have shown in the drawings but a single working embodiment,

it should be understood that considerabley change might be made in the construction and arrangement without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as eX- pressed in the appended claims; in which- I claim l. In a lavatory fixture, the combination of a pedestal, a heater and a blower unit therein, each unit having a tubular casing and an electric connection, said casings forming an air channel through which a current of air may be delivered upwardly, and an electric circuit including said conneetions, and permitting removal of said units with their respective electric connections.

2. A lixtnre of the character described comprising a tubular pedestal having an open top, a perforate grate covering said top and providing an air delivery nozzle,

a tubular casing within said pedestal removable through said open top and pro viding an air channel through which/air may be delivered upwardly to said nozzle, and a heating element and a blower within said tubular casing for causing a current of heated air to be delivered upwardly therein.

3. A lavatory lixture comprising a hollow pedestal having a lower air inlet and an upper air delivery opening, an electric circuit within said pedestal, an electric .motor anda heater connected in parallel in said circuit and adapted to be removed and replaced through said open top with their electric connections intact, and a fan driven by the motor for delivering a current of air upwardly through the heater and said delivery opening.

4;. In a fixture of the character described, the combination of a base having an air inlet, a nozzle through which air is adapted to be delivered, an electric heating unit and a blower unit removably supported on the base and providing an air channel between said inlet opening and said delivery nozzle, an electric circuit connecting the blower and heating elements, each of said units including a section of said circuit, and'said circuit including detachable electric connections permitting removal of said units with their respective circuit sections intact.

5. In a fixture of the character described, the con'ibin'ation of a pedestal, a stationary bracket in the pedestal carrying one part of a. concentric connection, a blower unit adapted to be positioned in said pedestal and equipped with aconcentric connection complemental to that on said bracket and equipped at its upper end with one part of a second concentric electric connection,

a heater unit adapted to be positioned in the pedestal and equipped with an electric connection complemental to the. upper connection of the blower unit, and an electric circuit connecting the heater and blower connections.

6.` In a fixture of the character described, the combination of a pedestal, a. blower unit therein including a motor and a fan, an electric heating unit inthe pedestal above the blower, and an electric circuit connecting the blower and heating units and including electric connections between said units adapted to open and close said circuit upon removing and replacing the heating unit.

7. A lavatory fixture of the character described comprising an upright, hollow, cylindrical pedestal having an enlarged base, an air inlet near the base and an open top providing an air outlet, a tubular casing within the pedestal removable through said open top, a blower and a heating unit carried by and within said casing, and an electric circuit connecting said motor and heating unit including` a foot operable switch supported on said base and adapted for closing and opening` the circuit.

8. A fixture ot the character described, comprising a tubular pedestal having` an air inlet at its lower end and an air delivery nozzle at its upper end, a tubular casing within Said pedestal equipped with a. rnotor and a fan, a tubular casing` above and concentric With the first mentioned casing and equipped with an electric heatinp` unit, said casings forming' an air channel. between the air inlet and delivery nozzle, and an electric circuit connecting the motor and the heating' element and includingelectrical. connectors between said motor and heating unit adapted to open and close the circuit upon removal and 1.e1 laeen 1ent of the heatingl unit. y

9. A lixtnre ol the character' described, comprising' a tubular pedestal lia-vinto` an air inlet at its lower end and an air delivery nozzle at its upper end, a tubular casing Within said pedestal equipped with a inotor and a fan, a tubular casing; above and concentric with the first mentioned casing` and equipped with an electric heatiin;` unit, said casingjs forming .an air channel between the air inlet and delivery nozzle, and an electric circuit connecting' the inotor and heating element and including;` quick detachable connections permitting removal ot the heatingunit 'from the inotor unit with its section of the circuit intact.

l0. ln a` lavatory ixtnre, the combination of a pedestal having an air inlet and an air outlet, a heater casing' and a blower casing inonnted in said pedestal and forining an air channel between said inlet and outlet openings, an electric circuit connectint;` the blower and the heater, and quick detachable connectionsI in said circuit permitting reinoval et said units with their respective sections of the circuit intact.

ll. ln a fixture ot the character described, the coii'ibination oli' a pedestal having a lower air inlet und `an upper nir outlet, a. stationary spider bracket in the pedestal, a inotor casing' having an upper and a lower spider bracket, a motor `and a 'lan mounted on said casing between said brackets7 an electric heater casing in the pedestal above the motor easing and having' a spider bracket, concentric electric connections between the two lowerinost brackets and the two iqipcrinost brackets, and an electric cirenit connecting the inotor and electric heater and in which said concentric connections permit quick removal ot Said casinles with their respective sections of the circuit intact.

STA lrlD'lSl-l S. BUDLONG. 

